


Propriety

by Bleedingwriter, xaphrin



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Corsets and sex ahead, F/M, Red X Is Jason Todd, Romance, victorian au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:25:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7630639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleedingwriter/pseuds/Bleedingwriter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xaphrin/pseuds/xaphrin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was not meant to love him. She, in her lowly state of financial and social standing, was not meant for him to love nor was she to ever love him back. But she had never seen such intelligent eyes as his was, and somehow, despite what is proper, his eyes always seems find her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Air

There was something in the air - she could feel it swirling around her like a drop of ink in a glass of water.

Diluted and uneasy. 

She stared out at the horizon until the tall grassy field lead to the dark trees, trying to somehow pinpoint the feeling and decipher its intentions. Tilting her head, she tugged her coat closer around her body as the wind picked up its speed and chilling her. The smell of the autumn morning air in the country itched at her nose and she breathed in deep, closing her eyes and willing it to give her some comfort.

It did very little.

A disappointed sigh escaped softly from her lips as eyes scanned the scenery again, still hoping to find the source of her unrest.

“What are you doing out here, you foolish girl?” She heard a low teasing voice say behind her and she rolled her eyes, playfully.

“Your memory serves you ill, dear cousin. from the pair of us, I was never the foolish one,” She smirked back at the redhead.

“Standing outside in a coat and a chemise when it’s barely even light out is foolish,” the girl replied, coming up stand beside her. “You’ll catch your death, or, if you’re lucky, a gentleman suitor.”

She snorted, never taking her eyes off the horizon. “That luck would serve you more than it would me.”

“If he’s well off and with a good title, it could very well serve us all,” the redhead said, jokingly in response. “Although I would be losing my favorite cousin.”

“Your only cousin.”

“Therefore, my favorite cousin. Despite the fact she gets up before the crow flies in only a chemise and a coat,” she smiled before a look of worry graced her cousin’s face. “What has you up this time?”

She sighed, hating and loving that her sweet cousin knew of the many nightmares and sleepwalking spells she had often suffered through. So many that the redhead took it upon herself to check in on her throughout the night, and yet never made a single fuss about it. She loved and resented that about her.

“Fret not, dear one,” she exhaled again with a shake of her head, pulling the worn out coat tighter on her shoulder. “Just a sense of unrest is all. Nothing a bit a fresh air and a pleasant view can’t fix.”

Her cousin’s fraughtful glance did not cease. If anything, it pressed obnoxiously harder against her temple.

Turning away from the view, she took the redhead’s hands and placed it over her own heart, looking into her dark, almost black, eyes gave her the most reassuring look she could muster. “I promise, sweet Jin, I am fine. You needn’t come out here with me and risk catching your death as well. I could not bare it if something happened to you.”

Jin scoffed as she copied her motions. “And you think I could bare losing my favorite cousin who is the last remaining blood family I have, and who I view and treasure as a sister? You would be mad for thinking so.”

“And I could not bare losing either of you,” an approaching masculine voice broke between the two of them. “Now let us continue this discussion inside before we all catch fevers from this cold.

Jin smiled widely as she slipped away from her and into his arms. “I was simply checking in on my cousin, Victor. You need not check on me.”

“You are my wife, who was out of bed too long, it lost its warmth,” Victor grinned down at her, holding her close before turning his gaze up. “And your cousin is my cousin. Not by just law but in mind and spirit, so I, too, grew concerned for her wellbeing.”

“I did not wish to wake either of you,” she answered back with a shake of her head. “I only wished to get some fresh air and clear my head for only a moment before I started morning chores.”

He chuckled. “Always searching for something in that horizon.”

“What are you hoping to find out there?” Jin asked, her brow crinkling in curiosity.

She thought for a moment, the feeling sinking back into her stomach like rock. She had stared at her horizon many times before in hopes to clear out the clutter of her mind and calm her emotions. Counting every tree, every boulder, every different shade of flower or patch of long grass- endlessly staring and endlessly searching for something new. But no amount of counting could help her shake that something was coming.

What was worse was that she didn’t know if what was coming was good, or if it might be trouble.

Pressing her lips together, she shrugged while her eyes drifted up to the sky and watching it brighten with every passing second. “Peace of mind, I suppose.”

She didn’t turn back at her family but she could still feel their eyes watching her carefully. “Well, there’s still a while left for chores, so come on inside, dear cousin, and rest up out of this frigid air. Let the sun come up and warm it some, hmm?”

Raven lingered there for a moment, hearing their forms retreat but knowing she wasn’t going to have a moment’s peace until she joined them. But she couldn’t miss the…

A flood of light burst passed the tree line and into the sky, slowly spreading over the field. The corners of her lips tugged upwards before she slid her eyes closed, relishing in the first light of morning. Her favorite part of the day.

The phantom feeling still twisted at her gut but the sun and the autumn air made it easy to forget, for a moment.

“Raven?”

Taking one more deep breath into her lungs, dark blue eyes opened in acceptance of the day’s fate. “Coming.”


	2. Chapter One - Eyes

Music wafted lightly through the air as people conversed and danced around in merriment, indulging and reveling in the generation wealth of the Wayne family, in honor of their prodigal son returning home from his studies abroad.

She absolutely abhorred these types of balls. Every family within a 50 mile radius clambering and clawing at the chance to rub shoulders with the wealthy. Every bachelor seeking a wife, every young bachelorette seeking a rich husband. Mothers trying to marry off their daughters and trading gossip, and fathers talking business and politics and other world issues with each other, ignoring their nudging wives. Everyone pretending to be more interesting than they actually were, and getting drunk on the finer side of life.

Dull.

Raven sighed silently from her place in the shadows, resisting the urge to roll her eyes when she heard a large bout of obnoxious laughter from a group of people beside her. Taking another sip of her champagne, she watched the various different scenes play out in front of her, hoping no one would take notice of her reluctant voyeurism as she counted the seconds until it was the appropriate time to retire.

“Are you going to stand there all night like some sort of social pariah?” She heard her cousin’s voice ring out, jokingly, from beside her. “What are you doing in the shadows?”

“Hiding from possible prospects and proposals to dance. What else?” Raven smirked as her cousin slipped beside her, their fringe bangs touching. “You know, I find these sort of events duller than a rusted knife.”

“Yes, I know all too well of your displeasure for these sort of things,” Jin rolled her eyes. “But how else do you plan on finding a man worth your hand?”

“I have been standing here for, at least, twenty minutes and have been in this house for longer. I have yet to see such a man,” Raven replied, her eyes scanning the crowd again. “And I came here as a favor for our friend, Lord Richard. Not for prospects to marry. Honestly, cousin, you’re almost as bad as Madam Mayeye.”

Jin scoffed. “Don’t dare compare me to such an overbearing cow! How rude of you to say such things.”

“I apologize, sweet cousin,” Raven nodded. “I didn’t mean to offend.”

“Yes, well, keep talking like that and I will have no choice but to throw you to these drafty, old birds here,” Jin said, making Raven lean over to shush her. “Let them really remind you of Madam Mayeye.”

Raven chuckled. “Is it not enough that I’m here? In a corset and dress that are both too tight to properly breathe, no less?”

“According to society, no, it’s not,” Jin sang lightly with a wide smile before linking their arms together. “Besides, I’m not the only one looking for you. Our dear friend - who you spoke of earlier, Lord Richard, is looking for you.”

Raven rolled her eyes as she allowed her cousin to guide her through the onslaught of people from room to room, ignoring a few of the states she received as they strolled. She coughed as she smoothed out the dark blue velvet front of her dress. “For what purpose? He knows I much rather keep to myself during these things.”

“He wants you to meet his betrothed,” Jin answered, waving at a few familiar faces. “And he’s not going to drag her into the shadows where you lurk searching for you. Especially not in a crowd like this.”

“Yes! She’s of royalty, isn’t she?”

“A duchess of a small country near the Mediterranean,” Jin nodded. “Very sweet girl.”

“You’ve met her already?” Raven furrowed her brows.

“I am a very social person, you know?” Jin drawled. “Yes, I’ve met her, and she’s very sweet. Naive, but sweet.”

“I can only imagine how that’s fairing with the public,” Raven spoke, knowing that people did not always take kindly to strangers as they walked through the threshold of the ballroom, seeing a small group of people in the middle of the floor dancing around like bright, floating feathers.

“Hmm… There’s a sort charming quality about her. Like a small, bright, red puppy that you cannot help but adore,” Jin explained causing Raven to smile.

Looking up, she noted her cousin-in-law talking to their handsome friend, Lord Richard, and his esteemed colleague, Mr. Logan along with a fiery red haired woman dressed in a brilliant shade of violet, whose face Raven did not know. She deduced that she was the duchess .

“Ah! You found her,” Victor teased with a large smile. “I was wondering if I had lost you as well to the crowd.”

“You would have, if I did not know my cousin and her favorite hiding spots so well,” Jin grinned back at him.

“Ever so shy, Ms. Roth?” Mr. Logan commented, tilting his head in acknowledgement.

Raven curtsied with a light hum. “I am not shy as much as I am in need of exuberant amounts of solitude throughout the day, Mr. Logan. Not everyone has a consistent need for company.”

“Quick as ever with your wit and your words,” he laughed, almost mockingly. “Tell me, Miss Roth, do you ever hold your tongue long enough to let someone to match you?”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes again at the young fool, constantly trying and testing her patience as if it was his favorite hobby. Instead she opened her fan and pressed her lips, raising her brow at him. “I held my tongue long enough to let you speak, and yet it appears I am still matchless in the way of words, Mr. Logan.”

He forced a smile in response, and she was beaming on the inside. “It is always so nice to see you, Miss Roth.”

Before she could say something back, Lord Richard chimed in, nodding his head in greeting. “It is truly nice to see you, Miss Roth. I know these parties are not your cup of tea but I am truly grateful that you came anyway.”

“But of course, Lord Richard. You are one of my closest friends, and despite my… “ she selected her words carefully as she glanced over to random spots of the room, noting a few drunkards - men and women alike. She took a deep breath before turning her head back to her friend. “Aversion to these sorts of gatherings, I would be remiss if I declined such an invitation.”

Grayson smiled brightly at her. “I am honored. I am also honored to introduce you to my fiancée, Her Grace, the Duchess of Tamaran, Kori Ander.”

Raven curtsied respectively to the gorgeous woman. “It is an honor to meet you, your Grace.”

“Please,” the woman spoke, brightly but her accent thick like syrup. “It is I, who is honored. Dick has told me so much about all of you and your accomplishments, despite your unfortunate circumstances. I could only imagine how hard it all must be for you. I do not believe I could leave bed, let alone, come out to society. Or pick up a pen and… live by it. How on earth do you do it?”

Raven’s brows raised at the Duchess tone, fighting the urge to retort with the flurry of words that flooded her tongue. It was one of the reasons why she despised these things. She hated being talked down to, reminded that she was less than everyone else here. A sort of charity case that grew out of hand at some point.

It was Jin this time who stopped her from speaking out of turn. “I apologize, your Grace, but I absolutely must admire your ring.”

The young Duchess’ eyes sparkled at the prospect to show off her ring and speak of her engagement for what, Raven assumed to be, the umpteenth time that night, forgetting all about her sympathy plight for Raven.

That was more than alright with her.

As her friends droned on about karats and proposal maneuvers, Raven waved the fan over herself as she glanced around the room.

Always the same people, always the same faces, always the same story.

Some enjoying the food and drink. Some enjoying it a little too much. Flirtatious smiles and smirks hidden behind a fan. Industrial climbs up the social status ladder. Men becoming the masters of the universe. Women gossiping and yapping about trivial things, no doubt. Smiles. Laughs. Dancing. Music. Stares.

Raven was used to the staring. A woman with her lowly upbringing and lack of social standing, standing next to a son of Gotham and a Duchess in a gown too expensive for her to afford, let alone, keep, would always be prone to stares. Normally, she would shake her head of the notion and ignore it but there was one stare she couldn’t shake.

It pressed and pressed against her, burning into the side of her skull as the air grew tight around her. Her stomach clenched and her skin tingled, reminding her of that very morning before the sun had made it past the horizon. Sinking and exhilarating and fatal all at the same time.

Growing curious, Raven turned her head towards the feeling, only to meet a pair of green eyes staring right back at her from across the room. The world seemed to freeze and dissipate into nothingness, leaving only them standing and staring at each other in a sort of dreamlike candlelight that one couldn’t quite place.

Tall and handsome, his hair dark as the night, save for the small strip of white in the front. His shoulders broad and his body lithe. But his eyes… His intense green eyes - she had never seen such intelligent eyes before. They disarmed her and left her defenseless. Her heart pounded in her ears and her breath hitched in her chest under his gaze, watching as his lips quirked to the side, before slowly drifting his eyes back to the man he was speaking with as the world slowly fell back in place.

Finding her breath again, she pulled her glance away from the man and tried to pay attention to the conversation her friends were having, hoping to forget the small lapse of time the world froze. But his eyes and that feeling still haunted her, still pressed against her temple and nudged at her stomach. Raven swallowed, daring to steal another peak of him only to be caught instantly by his stare.

Forcing down a blush, she tore her glance away and feigned disinterest in the man by smiling at her friends as they left to dance or get more drink, leaving her and Jin to stand alone. But his eyes continued to burn at her skin.

Lifting her fan to cover her mouth, she leaned over to her cousin. “Jin, who is that man speaking with Lord Wayne?” She whispered.

Looking over Raven’s shoulder, Jin lifted her brow. “The man with the white streak in his hair?”

“The very same, yes,” Raven nodded.

“Why, that’s the very man whose return we are here to honor,”Jin answered. “That’s the Earl of Arkham, Lord Todd. The prodigal son.”

Raven’s brows lifted in surprise. “Lord Richard’s brother?”

“Yes,” Jin nodded, her eyes batting between Raven and Lord Todd, a sort of sly smile sneaking over her lips. “Quite the scandalous one too.”

“How do you mean?”

“Surely, you must know,” Jin scoffed but when Raven said nothing, she gasped. “You don’t know? Honestly, cousin, your head is so buried in your books, it’s a wonder how you don’t injure yourself more often.”

“Are you going to continue your jesting or are you going to tell me what you know?” Raven rolled her eyes.

Jin smiled knowingly, looking back over her shoulder at him. “Well you know that for the past several years, he has been studying abroad all over Europe, focusing mostly on the literature arts and business.”

“Yes.”

“But what you might not know is that he had a varied course of study,” Jin spoke, suggestively.

Raven’s brow crinkled, confounded by her cousin’s insinuation. “Of what?”

Jin tilted her head, her smile dark and knowing as she looked at her cousin. Stepping closer to her and raising her fan, she whispered. “Let’s just say… That he has a particular interest in the female anatomy.”

Raven’s eyes widened, jerking her head back to look at her cousin, who only laughed.

“They say he’s charming. So charming that he’ll charm your petticoat right off you,” Jin’s eyes drifted back over Raven’s. Another slow grin slid on her face before she nodded her chin over to the man. “And it seems that despite all the women over there harboring for his attention, it is you who has captured his.”

She followed her cousin’s gaze, despite knowing better, to the owner of those green, intelligent eyes, setting her heart aflame- every part aflame under those eyes.

Taking a silent breath in, Raven flicked her eyes to the people around him and noticed there was practically a line of women, fidgeting and pushing for his acknowledgement. She frowned before setting her eyes back to his slightly confused face.

“He can keep his attention,” she bristled, opening her fan with a sharp snap and looking away from him, defiantly. “I’ll have none of it.”

She would not be somebody’s plaything. Not even for a man as handsome as he. Not even for a pair of eyes that undressed her like his did.

She refused.

**Author's Note:**

> Another piece we're casually dating! Yaaaaaaay!! Hope you guys like it!


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